Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo closed until further notice

Shangri-La hotel, Colombo will be closed till further notice, a senior hotel official said Tuesday, after the five-star property was attacked by a suicide bomber on Easter Sunday that killed unspecified number of guests, including Indians.

Sri Lankan authorities said Tuesday 321 people were killed and over 500 others injured when suicide bombers attacked three churches and luxury hotels in the country.

"We have decided that the hotel will be closed until further notice," Mahika Chandrasena, Director of Public Relations at Shangri-La, Colombo, told PTI.

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm that we are aware of a number of casualties among our guests and colleagues. This includes three of our colleagues who were fatally injured in the course of their duties," the hotel said in a statement.

"We will continue to work closely with local authorities and emergency services to provide our fullest assistance and support to all affected parties. Our hotel remains secured by the military and the police. We have also decided that the hotel will be closed until further notice," the statement said.

The hotel announced that they will continue to provide alternative accommodation for their affected guests. A dedicated helpline (+603 2025 4619) has been set up for affected guests and/or their loved ones.

"We are working closely with relevant embassy officials to support their respective citizens," the hotel said in the statement.

At least five Indians were killed when the suicide bomber struck the hotel.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo identified them as, Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh, K M Lakshminarayan, M Rangappa, K G Hanumantharayappa and Narayan Chandrashekar. Four of them were workers of the Janata Dal (Secular) party.

Seven suicide bombers believed to be members of an Islamist extremist group - the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) - carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing 321 people and wounding 500 others, including Indians, in the country's worst terror attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police have so far arrested 24 people - mostly members of the NIJ - in connection with the blasts.